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i i SYLVESTER SMITH, OF ROOKFORI), ILLINOIS, AND A. PERSELS, OF BELO IT,

WISCONSIN. I

Letters Patent No. 68,801, dated September 10, 1867'.

IMPROVEMENT IN GATES'.

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TO .ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Bc it known that we, SYLVESTER SMITH, oi' Rockford, Winnebago county, in the State of Illinois, and A. PBRSELS, of Beloit, in the county of Rock, and State of Wisconsin, have invented a newand improved device for operating Gates; and we do hereby` declare that the following is a full and exact descriptiouof the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention belongs to that class of automatic gates which are operated by means of their own `Weight, eertain devices being used to throw themout of balance.A The'device in this case consists principally of a forked lever-hinge, in combination with a spring'catch, as will be hereinafter fully described.

.To enable others to make and use our invention, we will now proceed to describe its construction and operation. I i i A A represent foundation-beams, placed at right angles, to each other, and joined at the point a. From each end of the beams A rise posts B, from which extend the arms b, to which are attached the pulleys b. At'

the centre ci' the beam A, and at the point of junction with A', rises the post C, to the lower part of which is fastened, by an ordinary eye-hinge, the lower part of the gate D, and to the top of which is attached the device by which gate is rendered automatic in itsoperation. E represents a forked lever, made of metal or other suitable material, which is provided on its under side with a. bearing, e, with convex and concave surfaces, which 5t into corresponding surfaces upon the washer c upon the top of the gate-post, and is held by the bolt e. The object of tris arrangement oi' bearing surfaces is to relieve the bolt le from undue strain. Tothe short firm of the lever, at the point e, is fastened the upper end of the gate-standard d, in such manner that it swings freely in either direction. Upon the top of the lever is placed the spring s, which, curving over the bolt e, passes through the opening g in the lever, arranged for the purpose, .and terminates in a. sharp upward curve. when the gate is closed the lower edge of this spring rests in a depression, zu, in the strip o. This strip is a curved piece of metal, and is so placed thatA the points next the centre are the highest, thus enabling the spring, when once lifted from the depression or notch to either side, to pass over the inclined surface Without difficulty. Over the opening g in the-lever rises the yoke L, in which is pivoted the pulley z'. To the end of the spring s attached the chain 7c, and to it the ropes l, which, passing one through each fork of the leverL arranged for the purpose, and over 4the pulleys b', terminate in the handles m. From the b eam A` rises the post B', upon which is the catch w, into which the latch y shuts when the gate is closed. In order that the gate may not siting by the post in the act of closing, the stop z is used, which arrests the motion ofrthe gate and forces the latch to fall into the catch below. In order that this stop may not interfere with the movement of the latch the catch is made wider than usual, giving ample room upon each side of the stop for the latch to rise, when the gate opens Without danger of interference. The sides also of the catch a're made slightly sloping in order -to facilitate the movement of the latch. l

"Ihe operation ci' our arrangement is as follows: The gate being closed, and it being desired to open it, either handle is pulled, and force being thus applied, by means of the rope and chain, to the spring s, it is lifted from its notch, and the short arm of the lever being thus freed it necessarily moves in the direction opposite to that pulled from. By this movement the upper part of the gate-standard is thrown around, the lower part' being, it vwere, stationary, and consequently the outer end of the gate is lifted and the latch freed from the catch. The gate being thus freed at both end's, its balance being disturbed by the change ofthe position of its upper hinge, it opens rapidly by its own weight. Catches upon the post B hold it'iirmly Vopen until further action. is taken.

Instead of the catches oi' the side posts B, notches in the strip o, similar to the notch x, could benused if thought expedient. In this case, however, the strip should be put on straight around, and the notches located at the sides. Y A

The person having passed through, and it being desired to shut the gate, the other handle is pulled, and the lever-hinge swinging about againdisturbsthe balance of the gate, and it shuts rapidly by its own weight. The movement ofthe hinge-lever operates es before to lift the gate up from the sidecatch.

It' will be observed that when the gate is closed it is held seeurely by the catch at one end, and by the Spring s :it the other, by this means being made safe from opening by animals. This gate can also be used as a. simple gate, the arrangement being sucb'that its own Weight-will always act to keep it closed.

We are aware'of the patent o'Ezra.` Nicholson, granteclAuglist 11, 1863,-and do not therefore desire to make a broad claim for the result obtained, but simply for our combination and arrangement for produeing it.

Having thus fully described our invention,wba,t we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The gate D, lever E, witb bearing e, spring s, strip 0V, yoke 71,pulley z', chain k, ropes Z, pulleys and handles m, when constructed and arranged as described. Y

' SYLVESTER SMITH,

A. PERSELS.

vWitnesses:l

E. P. KING, Y D. C. BROWN. Y 

